This article originally appeared in the 2022 Summer edition of SwimSwam Magazine. Subscribe here to the SwimSwam Magazine here.
THE SINGER
The last song you listened to on Spotify before you got to training stays in your head and never goes away? Do you spend aerobic freestyle sets singing your favorite tunes and hoping your mates are counting laps instead? Then you are the lead singer of the team.
SLEEPY
If you are the sleepyhead of the group, it will be difficult for you to get up at any time. And if the practice starts before 7 a.m., you will come to the pool in your pajamas at least once a week. Don’t worry. When you say you didn’t come to practice because the alarm didn’t work, we believe you.
THE SENATOR
Your age is closer to that of the coach and the staff than your teammates, and the cap elegantly hides the first white hair. You are the oldest of the team — a role that brings privileges and responsibilities.
THE NERD
You always have the correct answer when a teammate asks you how many reps are missing. Your way to spend time during practice is to count the total session miles because it will be easier to write the sets in your diary when you are at home. You can cite anyone’s times at the drop of a hat — including yours, your lane mates’, Michael Phelps’, and that one fast 14-year-old who lives in Iowa.
THE TALENTED ONE
Born from a date between a mermaid and Neptune, you are made for swimming. After a month without practice, you get back in the water and go faster than all your teammates, who envy you and your easy way of swimming but cannot resist your shining smile.
THE HUNGRY SWIMMER
Okay, we’re all hungry swimmers. But you are a bit much. You spend your workout thinking about the peanut butter sandwich you have in your backpack. Between sets, you ask your teammates what they plan to eat for dinner. Whether it’s your birthday or just Friday, every occasion is good to bring some food to the pool and share with the team.
THE SPOILED
The swimming pool is not only your training place but also your spa, your hairdresser and your beauty salon. You’re always the last to get out of the shower, and you carry a backpack only for creams and lotions. Your teammates don’t like to wait for you, but every time you leave the locker room you do it like a real diva.
THE GLADIATOR
Let’s be honest, you are the real hero of the team. You are not afraid to lead the lane and butterfly sets don’t scare you. You volunteer for get-out swims and go through every workout like a real warrior. Sometimes talent is overrated — what is needed is a gladiator’s heart.